Following a successful start to the ULI Midlands Young Leaders’ calendar, our next event came on the 28th July in the form of a guided tour around the Grand Hotel Construction Site & Grosvenor Room, kindly lead by Hortons’ CEO Tony Green and Building Surveyor James Slater.

The morning started with a networking breakfast at HOME Café on Church Street. From the Café entrance we cast our eyes towards Colmore Row where the view was dominated by the rear elevation of one of Birmingham’s most recognisable landmarks, The Grand Hotel. Before the tour commenced, Tony gave us an interesting insight into the buildings rich past; originally built for Isaac Horton, it hosted lavish dinners for every UK prime minister up to Margaret Thatcher, and was the venue where Malcolm X gave his last speech on English soil.

The tour began and we walked up to Colmore Row, which for 12 years has been host to a large scaffolding clad structure and a 45 strong team of stonemasons. From here we were able to stand back and appreciate one of Birmingham’s former hidden gems, a beautiful ornate stone and marble Grade II* listed façade. Workmen were still busy putting the final touches to the ground floor retail units, many of which are now let to a variety of occupiers including two separate leisure offerings from the Living Ventures Group, a coffee shop and a cycling store.

However, the restoration hasn’t been without its complications; earlier this year a careless driver found himself parked half in the basement of shoe retailer Crocket and Jones, entering via the shop window and destroying the listed shopfront in the process.

The current phase of restoration involves breathing life back into a number of different elements of the property, with a number of future plans in the pipeline subject to English Heritage support and financial viability. In addition to the near complete ground floor retail units, the first and second floor office accommodation ‘Imperial & Whitehall’ have undergone a full back to frame refurbishment. Ranging in sizes from 250 – 2,500 sq. ft., the new office suites have recently welcomed three new tenants, soon to be followed by a number of other occupiers as the space is now 70% under offer.

Hortons are looking to restore the hotel with an anticipated c.165 hotel room offering, including a presidential suite boasting its own duplex roof terrace and breath-taking views across and beyond St Pauls square. Many original features and finishes of the hotel will be left untouched awaiting potential hotel operators currently looking at the scheme, to come in and infuse with their own brand.

The property now benefits from a new roof, a number of replacement windows, additional levels to the top of the hotel, as well as the newly restored façade. Nonetheless, much of the building’s original charm has been preserved and its heritage can be seen through numerous original features including stained glass windows, grand fire places and an original tenant board.

Looking forward to 2018, completion of the works will end a 16-year wait for one of the city’s most treasured and historic buildings to be returned to its former glory. A big thanks to Hortons and in particular Tony Green and James Slater for providing us with a superb insight into their journey, and we wish them all the best for the remainder of the project.

Words by Nick Spencer, JLL